


Threads of Violets

by lavender coin (idyII)



Series: divergent paths [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Family Fluff, Father Figures, Fluff and Humor, Future Fic, Gen, Happy Ending, M/M, Other, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Post-Canon, Sexual Content, Signal Academy, Teacher Qrow, i swear this has a romcom hidden under the angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:34:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24281404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idyII/pseuds/lavender%20coin
Summary: In one of the many realities where a team of plucky teenagers and the old crow watching over them defeats the being known as Salem, Qrow feels left behind. His kids are all grown up, the evil is defeated, and he suddenly has more time than he knows what to do with. He'd thought he'd had a chance at happiness, but that's gone too- but maybe he was looking in the wrong place all along. Maybe happiness is closer to home than he thought.(Qrow and Tai are a pair of dads just trying to do their jobs and maybe get around to having a date if they can get their brains into gear. Who knew the little things could be harder than saving the world?)
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long
Series: divergent paths [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1751065
Comments: 19
Kudos: 50





	1. Chin Up

Qrow couldn't look at Harbinger.

It brought up a deep sense of shame in him. A Huntsman's weapon was more than just any old blade or gun; it was a _part_ of them. That weapon had been the most solid thing in his life since he himself had forged it, hell, he still had his first schematics for it. He moved so fluidly with it that it was almost a part of him.

At least, it used to be.

It sat in the corner of his temporary room at Beacon, as it had since they'd arrived there to help rebuild after fleeing Atlas. It had been cleaned, but Qrow had barely spared it a glance ever since he'd set it down. He felt guilty- ashamed, almost. Like he was betraying his oldest friend.

But he just couldn't look at it without imagining it being covered in blood.

He didn't even like _red_ anymore. Qrow had become well acquainted with blood over the years, sometimes quite closely, but never like this. He had never been able to get it out of his brain, the red that had soaked into the pure white snow beneath them as _he_ bled out. Qrow had screamed into the sky, something deep inside crying out against the utter _unfairness_ of it all- the fact that he couldn't keep one good thing- and he'd left his cape laid gently over Clover's body. He couldn't even look in the mirror anymore. He hated the color of his own goddamned eyes.

_Maybe if Raven hadn't betrayed them, maybe if Lionheart hadn't, maybe if Haven had been able to support Atlas, maybe if Qrow had moved faster, maybe if he..._

There were a thousand different maybes that never led to a right answer.

A knock on his door broke him out of his thoughts. He'd been laying on his bed, too short for him- it was usually for students, after all- hunched as he stared at the wall. Slowly, he rolled over and sighed when the knock came again.

He swung himself to his feet, clothed in blacks and greys now, and walked over to the door. He opened it and summoned a weak smile when the beaming face of his youngest niece met his gaze. "What's up, kiddo?"

"Good morning Uncle Qrow!" she practically shouted at him, somehow nailing him with the force of a bullet train when she hugged him despite only standing inches away. He let out a faint grunt and patted her on the head. "It's almost breakfast time! I didn't want you to miss it again!"

"Right, right. I can walk there on my own, you know?"

She pulled away and smiled at him. It was a tolerant, knowing smile like her mother's. The red of her cape was gone. It was replaced by a black one with a white underside, strands of white dotting her clothing. White like snow; white like an absence.

She was eighteen now. Vaguely, his mind noted that they hadn't been able to give her a birthday party. They'd been too busy fighting Salem for the last time- two weeks ago, on this day- and she had shone like the brightest flower blooming when the sun rose. Qrow still felt like he was walking on nothing.

"I know," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. "But you've missed it two days in a row, and I'm not letting you miss it again! There's cake this time!"

She grabbed ahold of his wrist and started pulling him down the hall. Life and Death clanked against each other on his back belt as he stumbled to catch up to her.

_"You won't draw your sword, son."_

_"What?"_

_"You won't draw it."_

_"I- I can. It's nothing."_

_"No, it's not. I know it isn't. I may have lost my eyes, but I can still see what matters, dear..."_

"Don't make me slip and fall and get a serious head injury after all the trouble we just went through," he joked, making her giggle. "This cake for a special occasion?"

"Uncle Qrooooow! It's my birthday!"

_"C'mere, Ruby," Qrow said, holding out his arms and smiling as Ruby swayed unsteadily on her feet. Taiyang was watching them like a hawk with his camera, almost vibrating in excitement. "Come on, come to Uncle Qrow."_

"What?" he pretended to gasp. "I had no idea!"

She faked a pout and elbowed him in the side. He let out a loud groan and pretended it had hurt when it hadn't.

_"Oof," Qrow cried, stumbling backward and falling to the wooden floor underneath. Okay, so the hardwood had hurt his head a little more than Yang's punch. "You defeated me!"_

_"Yeah! That's what you get! I win!"_

_"Yay Yang!"_

This reminded him, though, that he needed to call Taiyang and get her an actual party.

And...how long had it been since he'd spoken to Tai?

Yeah. That conversation probably wouldn't go so well, with his luck. 

_Hey old buddy, I almost got your daughters killed a few times, and let them go after the homicidal maniac trying to kill humanity, but it turned out all right so don't punch me?_

Qrow sighed. Ruby finally reached the mess hall and pushed open the doors with both hands, letting out an excited cry. They were all more than happy to be back at Beacon, with it actually looking like its old self (if a little improved) again. He had to admit, it was comforting.

"There they are!" an even more excited voice cried out, and at least Ruby was in between him and Nora so the other girl couldn't target him directly for a hug that would break the door. "The heroes of the hour!"

Qrow quirked an eyebrow. The other members of RWBY and JNOR were gathered around some of the tables, beaming at them, and he gave Ruby a halfhearted glare. She smiled innocently back at him.

"If anyone's a hero here, it's definitely _her_ , not me," Qrow said pointedly, pushing his niece forward with a finger on top of her head as he strolled towards the table where a large cake had been set down.

"Without you, Ruby wouldn't have gotten the chance she did!" Yang chirped. She had a crudely made party hat on her head that made Qrow roll his eyes.

"I'm sure you rugrats would've pulled it off anyway."

"Uncle Qrooooow!" Ruby whined, dragging him into a seat by his arm. "Just take the compliment!"

Qrow winced. Could he go one day without being reminded of Clover?

"All right," he gave in, so they wouldn't badger him further about it, and balefully accepted the terrible party hat Blake reached over to put on his head. Leaping on Salem to hold her arms from behind, with a boost from Yang and Nora, while Life (ironically) skewered her through the stomach, holding on (fully thinking he was going to die) and giving Ruby the time to approach with a blade made of pure light to stab the maniac in the chest and Oscar did something weird that let Oz's spirit out to approach his ex-wife and convince her to retire to the afterlife was definitely not the iconic role, in his opinion.

Still, he wasn't going to disrupt the kids' fun. They had all worked too hard for their win to let his bad mood ruin anything. Maybe it wasn't a bad mood, necessarily; he just...it didn't feel as victorious as it should have. It felt like something was missing.

Nothing was missing from the overall picture. The kids were all there and happy and alive. It was just Qrow who had a problem.

"Please take care not to play with your food, children," Glynda called out reproachfully as she passed, adjusting her glasses. She sighed as she did, but Qrow caught a hint of a smile. Headmaster certainly did suit her.

"No promises!" Ruby yelled back gleefully. "Here, Uncle Qrow!"

He startled when she slapped a plate down in front of him. He must've been really getting old if his reflexes were that bad. Grimacing at the cake, which was a bright green (yeah, they were all avoiding Atlas colors), and conveniently the color of the eyes of the person who'd been on his mind, he picked up his fork. The flavor didn't register in his brain; it tasted like nothing as he ate.

No food could go safely with these kids, though, and a food fight _did_ in fact start when Oscar, walking towards his table, tripped and his cake went flying and hit Nora in the face. She had let out a yell and thrown her own blindly, nailing Penny, and it had devolved into chaos from there. Ruby was laughing like a maniac, so Qrow subtly shifted under the table and crawled his way to safety while their yelling got more and more distant.

"Hello there, Qrow," the cheerful voice of Maria said out of nowhere, making him stop under the last table nearest the door with a jerk. He rammed his head into the top of it and swore. "Language, young man!"

"M'hardly young anymore," he muttered, glaring a little as he slid out from under the table. Fortunately, there was only so much cake, so the teams wouldn't demolish the whole cafeteria again...he hoped.

She gave him a thin smile. "Why, I was your age in my prime! Are you calling the Grimm Reaper old?"

"Wh- uh, no," he said, coughing into his fist. She snickered at him, clearly enjoying teasing him. "By the way, uh..."

The weight of Life and Death felt like a tank on his belt. It had taken him several days to get used to them, days filled with her barking out instructions and slapping him on the head with a new walking staff whenever he screwed up, and he still wasn't entirely used to them.

"Uhhhh?" she continued teasing, smiling crookedly when he groaned. "Something on your mind?"

"Yeah. I just thought you might want your...weapons back."

"Why on earth would I need those old things? Not like I can use them."

"Well, yeah, but-" Qrow's reflexes did actually work for once, and he ducked before a platter of cake nailed him in the head. He winced as it hit the far wall and clattered to the floor. Yeah, Glynda was going to yell at them. "They aren't mine."

"Mhm-hmm," she hummed, judgmentally in his opinion, as she appraised him. "Do you _want_ to stop using them?"

Hell no! They were the _Grimm Reaper's_ weapons! Honestly, Qrow had a hard time not freaking out when she let him hold them for the first time. It had been...comforting, not having to use Harbinger. "I don't think that's the issue," he hedged.

"No, the issue is you not being able to accept a gift." Amusement filled her voice, even while cake went flying over her head. Qrow wondered if she'd noticed that. "I'm _actually_ old, Qrow. My days as a Huntress are long over. I'd rather they be put to good use. Besides, I know what it's like."

"What what's like?"

She sighed, deeply, and raised her staff to block a stray plate. "After I was attacked," she explained, "I ran. I was afraid. You know that. But Life and Death...it was like I couldn't touch them anymore. I was...ashamed, I think. Like I'd failed them somehow, not been the Huntress they deserved. Our circumstances were much different, but I know you experienced a loss."

Something about it stung. Qrow never liked people talking about his losses. Or insecurities, or anything else that made him want to leave the conversation. He shifted his eyes to the side. "You not gonna give me some spiel about how I need to move on and get over it?"

"No. I don't believe any one ideology can apply to every person. Maybe you'll never use Harbinger again; that's fine."

He startled, feeling like she'd slapped him. Just, emotionally. He'd felt like everyone had been... _expecting_ him to use Harbinger, and he'd been expecting himself- it was _his_ weapon- and he hadn't exactly explained to anyone why he'd switched. Even despite that, he had a feeling Yang and Ruby knew. They'd seen Harbinger when they got him off his jail transport, drenched in human blood, and a look had passed between them, because he was in handcuffs and Clover was...not there. And it had crushed him a little, because Yang and Ruby had sent them glances occasionally, giggled sometimes, looked a little hopeful when he spouted off something sarcastic at Clover and had it returned in good humor. God, all he did was fail.

"Healing takes time," the woman continued, fiddling with something on her walking stick. "And sometimes you come out of it a different person than you were before. Saying goodbye to an old friend isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Qrow took a deep breath. He hadn't really signed up for therapy hour in the cafeteria with the Grimm Reaper. "Well...thanks, I guess. I'll...take care of them."

"Oh, I know that," she mouthed off, the amusement back in her voice as she turned and started for the door. "You're Qrow Branwen! A legend, after all."

Qrow rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Honestly, though, Qrow," she said, stopping suddenly with the air of a wise old woman that she would definitely punch him for if he mentioned it. "Let them be a comfort to you. I know what I said to you before when we first met was...harsh, but it was a wake-up call. And now you still have a future ahead of you. You've already passed what I couldn't do- you moved forward, instead of staying a failure. You still have many years left on this earth. Don't waste them staying lost in the past."

A table snapped in half to the teams' screams somewhere behind them. It kind of took away from the seriousness of her little speech, but Qrow still nodded. "Yeah," he sighed, staring at the floor. _Lucky me, huh?_

Maria opened the doors. Qrow glanced back at the cafeteria and grimaced at the mess behind him. "Hold the door," he muttered, ripping himself out of his stupor and striding forward. "I'm getting out of here before Glynda comes back."

"Hah! So you are afraid of her!"

"Who the fuck isn't?"


	2. Hey, There

Those few weeks after Salem left were great, but they couldn't last forever.

Qrow knew that. Still, he felt unprepared for the kids to go their separate ways. They'd all been together so long, fighting together, that it felt...nostalgic? Saddening? Fine, Qrow could admit it. He wasn't ready for all these kids- grown up now, young men and women- to leave. He had no idea what he was going to do now. He could go back to wandering around as a Huntsman, but...he was afraid he'd fall into old habits doing that.

Jaune, Ren and Nora had decided to stay together. He'd been expecting that. They entered Vale's security force, set to watch over the capitol and go on missions in the rest of the country when need be, so at least they'd be within visiting distance. He suspected that none of them wanted to migrate to another continent partly because of Oscar. The boy was still a kid, and he wanted a _break_ \- he didn't want to fight, or become a Huntsman, or stay in these big cities. Glynda had done a lot for him, found a farm in Patch that would take him in, give him an actual place he could call home. Qrow could tell it had made Ruby happy she'd be able to visit him, because she was intent on returning to Patch too. She said she wanted to become a teacher; that Signal had taken her on as a teaching assistant.

Yang and Blake had decided, together, that they would take up bounty hunting for a little while, taking some time to themselves to travel Vale on a new and improved Bumblebee and figure out what it was like to just be the two of them. As far as Penny, Qrow had heard she was now assisting Robyn, who sat on Vale's governing council, and as for Weiss, the girl had slid into a spot at Glynda's side with an inadvertent familiarity. The girl had started running errands, fetching paperwork, recording messages for the older woman, clearly interested in the ins and outs of her job, and she'd been completely surprised when Glynda offered her a position as her assistant. The future Headmaster of Beacon, Qrow thought, being a Schnee was the best irony there was.

So at least they all weren't going too far, but as for him...he still had no idea what he wanted to do.

With a sigh, he set down his razor on the edge of the sink and reached for a towel. He only shaved once a week, but it was always a pain. He certainly didn't want to grow a fucking beard like old Jimbo, though.

He glanced up at his reflection. For just a moment, an unfamiliar glimmer stared back at him in his eyes instead of red.

He startled back like a Grimm had clawed its way through the mirror. Rapidly blinking, he rubbed at his eyes and then opened them to see his familiar shade of crimson.

_What the hell?_

Had they just looked...purple? Or was he not getting enough sleep? He was probably hallucinating. Sighing again, he picked up the towel he'd dropped and started putting everything away. He really needed a good night's sleep now that he could get one.

* * *

An airway bus sat in the courtyard when Qrow arrived. It was actually a mildly comforting sight; something usually used by civilians, a bland way to travel, instead of a fucking Atlas fighter ship.

Bumblebee was parked by a light pole on the ground. He stopped beside it, gazing at the on ramp, and smirked a little when Yang came bouncing out with a beaming grin. "What's up, firecracker?" he asked, feeling a little lighter. These days, seeing the kids happy was pretty much the only thing that made him feel better. "You and wildcat going to set off soon?"

"In a couple of hours," Yang told him with a smile. "I had to catch up with Dad!"

Qrow paused. "Your dad?"

"Uncle Qroooow!" Ruby called from the ship. "Dad's here!"

Turning, Qrow felt his eyebrows climb towards his hairline as Ruby came running out of the ship. Or trying to run, at least. She was stuck stubbornly jogging as she pulled her father along by the wrist and he watched her with a wheedling grin.

The sight of Taiyang was...something. Comforting. And guilt-inducing. Qrow would readily admit he felt a little off-balance, and at a loss for words, and he had to wonder if Tai had heard about all of their adventures, because he surely wouldn't be looking that happy if he had. His eyes met Qrow's and his stomach did a little flip, like it sometimes did, and he awkwardly pulled his hands from his pockets and brushed one through his hair.

"Uh..." he said, hating how dumb he sounded as the man kept walking towards him. "Hey...there, Tai. I..."

He almost (but didn't) yelp when a pair of strong arms encircled him and yanked him into a hug. Tai was definitely where Yang had gotten her hugging strength from.

"Hey, there," Taiyang said, sounding amused. "Not gonna give your old pal a hug, feather-face?"

Qrow brought a hand up to pat him on the shoulder. "Hey," he mumbled, averting his eyes from Taiyang's when the other man stepped back. "Wasn't expecting you, Tai."

"Wellll, I got a little impatient," Taiyang said, planting his hands on his hips as he cast that amused stare at all three of them. "You three were taking so long to come see me, I figured I may as well come to you."

Yang let out a sheepish laugh while Ruby smiled innocently. "Sorry, Dad. We were pretty tired from y'know, saving the whole world and all."

"You're never too tired to give your old man a call!" Taiyang turned and gave him a chastising look. " _Or_ a letter," he said pointedly, making Qrow smile crookedly.

"Sorry," he said with a shrug. "Got real busy."

Yang's eyes suddenly lit up. She leaped up from where she'd been leaning on Bumblebee, grabbing her father by the arm. "Hey! You should come see the new Beacon! You haven't been back since it was rebuilt!"

"Sounds like a good idea, kiddo. You two wanna be my tour guides?"

Ruby let out an excited noise and started clapping her hands. "Yes! Oh, we should show you the new sparring arena, it's so cool and Pietro put in so much cool stuff..."

Her voice fell into a ramble as she started walking. Taiyang glanced back at him, where he was standing vaguely hunched over, and raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Qrow, don't get left behind."

Qrow tried not to jump. "Right," he said, and began following them down the path. He was content to stay there and just watch. He didn't think his input on much of anything was necessary.

* * *

He'd gotten distracted at some point while they walked around. Eventually, Yang and Ruby started chattering so much they were pretty much just distracting each other, pointing out every little new thing or ranting about a new student or something or other as they went. Qrow barely noticed when Taiyang fell back to walk alongside him, letting the girls get further ahead.

"Qrow," he said, making him jump. He looked up and found the other man appraising him with a cocked eyebrow. "You're a little too quiet."

Letting out an (excruciatingly awkward) shrug, Qrow let one hand drift to his weapon belt and fiddle with the latch. Taiyang had looked at his new weapons with some curiosity, but hadn't asked about them yet. "I'm just tired."

"Right." For a minute, they continued on in a mildly uncomfortable silence. "Ruby told me you stopped drinking."

Qrow stopped in the hall. Ruby and Yang kept walking, still distracted, and he tried to hide his grimace as he stared at the floor. "...yeah."

"She also said they got you a six month sobriety chip," Taiyang said in a frustratingly gentle voice, which irritated the hell out of him because the man was known for his tough love and Qrow didn't want his pity. When Qrow still said nothing, he sighed and folded his arms. "Qrow, I'm trying to say I'm proud of you."

"You shouldn't be," slipped out of Qrow's mouth, and honestly, he hadn't meant to snap at the other man, but it was almost reflexive. "They tell you what made me stop?"

Taiyang paused. It was his strategic pause. It was the pause he always used when Raven got mad or Summer had cravings that left her with terrifying moods or Qrow had terrible moods in school. Qrow hated that pause. "Yes," he said, oh so carefully; Qrow kind of wanted to punch something. "They told me a lot of things. Qrow-"

"Then you shouldn't be fucking proud of me, Tai," Qrow snapped, starting forward again. His stomach was churning with a particular type of anxiety he thought he'd gotten over when he graduated fucking Beacon. "We both know I fuck up every little thing I touch. Stop pretending to be nice."

Taiyang jumped forward. He put a hand on Qrow's chest, stopping him in his tracks, like a solid bull made of iron in the hall as he stared at him with a blatantly concerned expression. "Hey," he said, then repeated it as if he wasn't sure Qrow had heard him the first time. " _Hey_. Where is this coming from?"

Qrow's heart stung. Didn't they both know where it was coming from? It was pretty fucking obvious, in his opinion. "It's a goddamn miracle I didn't get them killed," he said, in a lower tone of voice, because he didn't want his business floating around all of Beacon. "They didn't need me, Tai."

"That's not what I heard. Look, I know what happened at the farm was-"

Qrow shoved his hand off. "Stop that," he snarled, quietly, under his breath, and turned away. Taiyang's hand stubbornly caught on his arm, jerking him to another stop, and he restrained the urge to throw a real fit and leave through a window.

"Fine," Taiyang went on, in a harder tone of voice. "Listen, then, whether you like it or not. I know you fucked up. Believe me, I wanted to strangle you a little when I first heard about it. But I also know how many times you recklessly threw yourself into danger just to protect the kids, _all_ of them, and how hard you tried to do better after you fucked up. So what is this, Qrow?"

Qrow refused to look at him. This was somehow exactly how he'd expected talking to Tai to go, he thought. Getting right to his insecurities and gutting him effortlessly and refusing to take any excuses for an answer. His eyes stung as he stared out the windows.

"I'm just tired, Tai," he ended up muttering, and he knew it was a lame excuse, but he mentally begged the other to just take it for once. He didn't want to talk about this.

Tai's grip on his arm loosened a little bit. He could tell the man was thinking, but he couldn't have guessed as to what about. "What're you going to do now, Qrow?" he asked, and Qrow thought it was because it was naturally the next thing to ask.

"I dunno," he murmured in reply. "I'll...find something."

A deep sigh echoed behind him. Taiyang tugged on his arm, turning him around, which forced Qrow to look at his face again. He looked tired, too. "Qrow," he said, sounding weathered. "Come _home_."

Qrow's stomach dropped to his feet. He stood there for a moment, watching Tai's sad, pleading blue eyes, and internally crumbled. He'd never been able to say no when his teammate used that expression.

And maybe, there was something comforting about the thought of going home. Of not being alone.

"Okay," he muttered.

"Uncle Qrow! Dad!" Ruby called out jovially, jogging back down the hall. It reminded Qrow of once in the Atlas halls when she'd called him Dad and hadn't noticed, and it made him wince. "Why'd you guys stop? We haven't even made it to the pool yet!"

"Great news, petal!" Taiyang said, suddenly full of cheer with a grin that Qrow knew was for her benefit yet genuine at the same time, somehow. He held up Qrow's arm like he'd won a boxing match. "Qrow's coming back to Patch with us!"

Ruby's eyes started to sparkle. "Really?" she nearly squealed, then dive-bombed him. "That's such great news! I'm so glad! We can plant strawberries this season, and go hunting in the woods together, and go to Signal together, and watch movies on the couch-"

Qrow set a hand on her head while she rambled. It was like it zapped all the irritation out of him, leaving him too tired to complain. He was vaguely embarrassed to admit that he looked forward to when she inevitably ran him down and hugged him every day. It was...comforting, somehow, that she still looked up to him so much after all these years, still loved her 'Uncle Qrow' so much.

She threaded both arms around one of his and yanked him forward. He'd seen the pool, but apparently needed to see it again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yang edge closer in to her father, ducking her head to say something, but Ruby distracted him too much to pay it much attention as she pulled him along.

* * *

Seeing Yang swing onto her bike and drive off still hurt a little. Qrow knew it was natural, that they'd all spread out eventually, but he was going to miss her. Her father had threatened to send Blake pictures from when she was a baby and dressed up in a pink dress and bows if she didn't visit in a few months, however, so he knew they'd see her soon.

Oscar was sitting on the bus beside an elderly woman who had come to Vale to take him to her family's farm. She had dozed off, and was nice enough, but the kid still looked a little anxious.

Leaning over the back of some empty seats, Qrow poked him on the side of his head, making him jump. He looked up at Qrow with a confused look on his face. "You doing all right, kid?"

"Oh, I'm...fine," Oscar replied, sounding surprised. "It's just...still strange, you know? Not having his voice in my head. I got kind of...used to it."

"Oh, you saying you want Oz back? I'm sure we can ring him up in the afterlife, get him back in time for more puberty."

A light chuckle escaped Oscar's throat as he smiled. "No thank you," he said, more emphasized. "It's also just weird to be going back to something so...normal," he admitted, turning to stare out the window. "Not having to worry about Grimm, people trying to kill me, et cetera..."

Qrow reached down and ruffled his hair. The boy cringed and swatted at his hand. "Don't jinx it," he teased. "But hey, I'm sure I'll see you in the neighborhood market or something selling melons. Or maybe corn. I dunno."

Oscar's smile turned into a grin as he looked up at him. "Do you even know what seasons things are planted in, Qrow?"

"Don't judge me," Qrow said, and retreated from the seats to shove his hands in his pockets as he walked back towards his seat.

When he caught sight of Taiyang, to his surprise, the man wasn't even trying to hide the fact he was staring at him. He quirked an eyebrow as Qrow sat down.

Finally, Qrow looked at him and scowled. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Taiyang returned, looking like he'd won an argument or something. "Just watching you be a good influence."

His scowl got deeper. "Tai," he warned.

"I saw you with them all, Qrow," Tai continued, stubborn as an ox. "They all look up to you. Can't you just accept that?"

Qrow looked away so he wouldn't see his scowl turn into something more pained. He leaned into the armrest furthest away from him, staring at the floor of the bus, and trying not to think of the conversation this reminded him of.

"I've got ice cream!" Ruby boomed as she exploded into existence right in front of them. Sure enough, three cans- yeah, Patch had its eccentricities- were in her hands, two strawberry flavored for her and Qrow and one orange flavored for her father. She shoved one into each of their hands and handed out the plastic spoons that came with each with blinding speed, then shoved herself into the seat between them and started swinging her legs back and forth with extra cheer.

Qrow felt himself relax a bit. This relationship was starting to get a little backwards, he thought. He shouldn't be relying on Ruby for comfort, but her presence was a balm nonetheless. And it saved him from conversations he didn't want to take part in.

He opened his can and started to eat, glad that it was pink. It was stupid, caring so much about a color, but it didn't remind him of anything but his and Ruby's favorite flavor. It wasn't blood red, or Atlas blue, or shamrock green. Just pink.

Taiyang was still frowning, but he quickly got rid of it when his daughter looked at him and put on a smile. The ride continued on in relative peace after that, and Qrow thanked the stars for his niece.


	3. (Never Go Away)

Qrow sat on the bed in the spare room and stared out the open curtains, into the dark forest outside.

He remembered the day he'd gotten to this house and found it empty, his nieces gone, left in such a hurry he'd scraped a wing on the door and left a few feathers on the ground, left the door itself open; how both panicked and relieved he'd been when he got to them just in time to save them from the Grimm in those forests. If he'd been even a few seconds late...if he hadn't decided to visit, if he hadn't flown as fast as he did...

There were always ifs and maybes. Always if only's.

_If only._

He uncurled his hand and stared at the pin in his palm. It felt like it burned his skin just to hold it. He didn't even want it, but he just...couldn't seem to get rid of it. Part of him hated the thing, hated what it represented, and he pulled open the drawer on the nightstand and set it inside, closing it as softly as he could.

He didn't know why he was so fucked up about this. He and Clover...sure, they'd been friends- or at least, Qrow had thought they were- they'd flirted back and forth, but it hadn't gone beyond that. They hadn't gotten the chance. Maybe he was mourning more than just Clover. Maybe it was the thought that had wormed its way into his head that maybe, after the war was over, he could have something more. Because he'd always known the girls would grow up and no one would need him anymore and he would have nothing.

He crossed his legs on the bed, feeling a lump rise in his throat. _No one needed him anymore_. He didn't even really know why he was here, in Patch, really. He couldn't stay here forever.

But what was there for him? Somewhere out there, alone, hunting down what Grimm remained in the world until he was either old and grey and also still alone or one of them killed him?

He felt... _lost_.

He rubbed his forehead with one hand, wishing he could go back to when things weren't so...complicated. But when had they not been?

He jumped when someone knocked on his open door. "Hey there," Taiyang said, making him turn to look over his shoulder. The taller man stood in the doorway, one hand still raised, with a raised eyebrow and a...lantern in his hand? "You good?"

"I'm fine," Qrow said, quickly swinging his legs off the bed and standing up, stretching his neck out and brushing off his clothes like he'd just been lost in thought. "What's that?"

"Ah, well, there's been some trouble with the electrical lines in town lately, and every so often there's a surge that busts the power for a few hours. Usually happens at night, so, just in case you need a hand getting to the bathroom," Taiyang joked, holding the lantern up and then taking a step inside and reach over to set it on the nightstand closest to him. Then he looked at Qrow, with those damned perceptive eyes, quieter and more solemn. "If you need anything, just let me know, okay?"

Qrow bit his tongue to avoid snapping at the man again. It was just Tai being Tai, he told himself. And he didn't deserve any snideness just because Qrow felt like everyone pitied him. "Yeah, whatever. It's fine."

Taiyang nodded. He didn't open his mouth, but he did look like he refrained from doing so, looking like he wanted to say something more, but he decided not to, stepping back and pulling Qrow's door shut with him. It was relieving, but somehow, also...disappointing. Taiyang and Summer had always been the softies in their team. The ones who listened to everyone, who offered a helping hand to anyone who needed it. They cared about other people's problems. Part of Qrow wanted to spill everything to the man too, to just have someone else who _knew_ how much he'd lost (even though he hadn't lost much of anything, he corrected himself), to just have someone who _understood_ , but he didn't want to do that. He didn't want to drag everything down. He didn't want to _talk_ about it.

He raked a hand through his hair and sighed, giving it a tug. It was getting longer. He hadn't cut it for months. He felt like a mess.

He eased back onto the bed, where Harbinger lay wrapped in a white cloth underneath, hidden from his eyes. But he still knew it was there, and he felt like he always would.

* * *

The morning light hitting his face made it turn into a grimace as he turned over. He'd left the curtains open so he could see the moon, but now he wished he hadn't. It was too early to be up, and at least sleep gave him an escape from all waking hours.

He hadn't actually spoken much to Taiyang the day before. It felt like Ruby had chattered all day long, from when they'd touched down in Patch to their bus ride to the town they lived near to their house and all the way through dinner. She regaled her father with all their tales and adventures, though she left out the farm, and Qrow had felt like a bit of an outsider, staying quiet at dinner and letting out occasional, tiny smiles, like when she'd thrown her arms up to demonstrate the size of the explosion that had resulted when she jumped into Cordovin's robot. Taiyang had laughed at that one, taking it in stride, and Qrow had made sure to avoid his gaze when Ruby kept on going through "But Uncle Qrow caught me-" to finish the story.

The chiming of his Scroll made him groan. Usually, he had alerts silenced, but during their time in Atlas and in Beacon warring against Salem, he'd had to turn them on in case of emergencies. Apparently he'd forgotten to turn them off.

Rolling over, he reached blindly until he felt it and pulled it closer. His vision was a little blurry when he opened his eyes, making him blink rapidly to dispel it.

To his surprise, it wasn't a text or call request but an email awaiting him. Even more surprising, it was from his old boss.

_Qrow,_

_I've been informed you're back in Patch for the foreseeable future. Seeing as our staff is currently down a few members due to recent events, you're more than welcome to take up your old job again. We could certainly use someone of your expertise teaching again._

_Headmaster Goodwitch also mentioned you may know someone interested in teaching history. Obviously, a few adjustments are in order._

_Best,_

_Tealle Windalle, Headmaster_

_P.S. Branwen, take your job back and don't be an idiot. See you Monday at 9 AM._

Qrow rolled his eyes and groaned again. Tealle was always a joy to send reports to. She never said a word about them, or retaliated in any way, just sent back copies marked up in red pen like he was still in school for "improvement." Still, he supposed it was better than...spending his days doing nothing. And he did enjoy teaching, he really did.

A rapid knocking came at his door. "Uncle Qrow!" Ruby yelled, sounding too excited for someone who'd only had a few weeks of downtime since saving the world. "Breakfast is ready! Are you up yet? Uncle Qrow!"

"I'm up," Qrow yelled, though he couldn't sound too annoyed. Breakfast sounded better than moping in bed.

The door flew open. He supposed he was the idiot in this situation for assuming he still had privacy.

"Honestly, Qrow," Ruby huffed, hands on her hips, as she surveyed him like he'd committed a crime. "You wore those clothes yesterday!"

Qrow gave her a _whaddaya do?_ gesture. "I didn't exactly pack pajamas."

"Well, don't worry! Dad gave me some money to pick up some new clothes, he figured we'd only have our gear when we got back!"

Qrow opened his mouth to say Taiyang didn't need to do that, he was sure he still had a bit of money in his account on Patch- though he hadn't bothered, or more accurately hadn't been able to, do so much as check his statement in years and he was pretty sure his card had gotten broken or lost- but Ruby abruptly zoomed over to him, yanking at his shirt. "Come on, come on! I want to get to town before it gets too hot! Dad made _pancakes_!"

* * *

It was stupid. It was silly, dumb, absolutely dimwitted. It made no sense. It was such an inconsequential thing.

But picking out new clothes was just...harder than it used to be.

He'd always gone for combinations with red. He'd thought he looked good in it (he _had_ looked good in it) but Qrow...really didn't want anymore red clothes. He'd deal with his Huntsman gear later- he didn't even know what he wanted it to look like- but as for every day clothes, he felt lost, and that felt stupid.

He ended up settling on a random menagerie of brown and grey slacks- those felt safe- and various light and cream-colored shirts, most with laces on the collar as was his usual style, with a variety of sleeve lengths considering how hot it got in Patch in summer, and some vests that fit his fancy. He didn't get much, let Ruby have a hay day as she dragged him around after hopping on a bus in town to get to a slightly larger city with more shopping options, and realized about halfway through the weight on his shoulders that was usually there didn't feel quite so heavy. With her rambling on, and smiling so much, and still showing off that little spark of joy within herself when she got excited about the smallest of things, he couldn't help but sport a small smile himself, even if he was delegated to being the shopping pack mule.

Things felt better when he could just focus on his niece being happy. She was the one who most deserved it, after all.

She was pulling him along by the hand not encumbered with nine bags when they passed a shop display for some type of novelty store. There were a few ornate-looking mirrors on the shelf inside, accented by geodes and other baubles, but as he passed one, he could have sworn-

He jerked to a stop, making Ruby almost trip. Startled, he backtracked and looked into the mirror again, blinking a few times.

No. Just red.

Ruby's voice brought him back down to earth. "Uncle Qrow?"

Qrow ripped his face away, getting a glimpse of her concerned expression and feeling embarrassed. "It's nothing," he said, with a halfhearted, one-shoulder shrug. "Just...thought I saw something."

She perked up. "Oh really? Something you want to buy?"

"No."

Her lower lip jutted out. "I'll find what you want eventually," she muttered to herself, like a determined little detective going after a serial killer, and started to pull him along again. It was a long running joke that Qrow never wanted anything specific for birthdays or other occasions, and she'd been on the hunt for years.

Before they got too far, they heard someone cry out from somewhere behind them. "Professor Branwen!"

Well, that wasn't a phrase he'd heard in...years. Turning, Qrow raised an eyebrow when he saw a blonde girl of Ruby's height barrelling towards him. He grunted when she made impact, locking her arms around him, not caring about the bags in her way.

"I can't believe it's you! This is so exciting! How long has it been- three- almost four years! How are you? Were you on a super important mission? Are you living in Patch now? Are you visiting? For how long? It's so great to see you?"

"June?" Qrow grunted out, used to excited-teenage-girl rambling by now. She let go of him and beamed. Then she turned to Ruby and divebombed her.

Qrow definitely did not feel sorry for his niece as she wheezed and almost choked, arms flailing. A taste of her own medicine for once. "June?" she squeaked out, then took in a few desperate breaths when the girl let go of her. "It's- it's nice to see you too! Gosh, you got a lot stronger..."

"I know!" Winking, the girl pulled out the piece of metal hanging off her skirt and it unfolded into a thick spear that looked like it weighed more than Qrow did. "This is Star Piercer! I made her based on the designs we made together, Professor!"

"Well, isn't that something," Qrow said, eyeing it top to bottom. He could see the changes- every weapon changed a little from concept to creation- but it brought a lot of memories rushing back. "And yeah, Ruby and I are both back at Signal. You still in school then?"

"Yep! I decided to stay at Signal, instead of transferring like most people do. School pride! And Ruby, I heard you already have your license, that's so exciting!" What wasn't exciting with this girl? "HARLEY!"

Someone came around the corner. It was another one of the students Qrow had had in his weapons class years ago. Another girl with mint green eyes and tomato-red hair, and a small scar across her nose. She lit up when she saw him. "Professor Branwen!"

Qrow braced himself (with good reason) to the next hug incoming. "You wouldn't believe it, Harle, Ruby's already got her license and everything and Professor is coming back to teach at Signal and-"

"That's great! You're still teaching combat and weapons, right?"

"I assume so," Qrow said with a shrug, while Ruby wheezed again from the force of Harley hugging her. "Tealle did say I'd have my old job."

" _Awesome!_ " The redheaded girl pumped one fist in the air, sharing an excited glance with her friend. "What're you doing, Ruby?"

"Oh, I, uh," Ruby chuckled, rubbing the back of her head, her signature bashful tic, "I'm going to be a teaching assistant! Who knows, maybe I'll be your assistant, Uncle Qrow," she continued, taking the attention off herself by teasing him. Okay, maybe she'd picked up more from him than previously thought.

He rolled his eyes when she sent him a sparkling smile. "Yeah, you can do all my paperwork for me."

"That'll be so great!" Harley said. "We can sit together at lunch like old times!"

The three teenagers continued to babble at each other. It was a bit of an inconvenient spot, standing in the middle of a mall with who knew how many bags hanging off his arms, but Qrow let them have the moment. And, like before, he found himself smiling, because he knew how long it had been since Ruby had seen her friends from Patch and how long it had been since she'd gotten to act like...well, a teenage girl.

And maybe it was nice to hear _Professor Branwen_ again.

* * *

"What is _that_?"

Qrow determinedly stared at the window while Ruby stood beaming beside him, hair pulled back to show off the little silver studs in her ears. After they'd left June and Harley she'd seen a small parlor in the mall and begged him to stop in, and he had no excuse because he himself had gone there despite his hatred for mall piercers because this one was actually legitimate, and he'd had no way to say no because she was technically eighteen now and could either walk in by herself or with his help. Still, he was hoping she at least would let Tai notice on his own rather than kicking the door open and going _Dad, look what Uncle Qrow and I got!_

"Earrings!" Ruby yelled, swinging one of her bags (the only bag she was carrying) back and forth. "Do you like them?"

She purposefully put on the doe eyes, blinking innocently, and Qrow would have found it funny how Taiyang floundered if he was brave enough to look at him. "I- you- I mean, I guess- but- that's not the point! Qrow, a _mall_?"

"I knew the guy!" Qrow exclaimed, feeling heat rush up his neck as he finally looked away from the window and met the other man's gaze. "It was fine, totally clean."

"Uncle Qrow got his ears pierced there too," Ruby continued cheerily, pointing at his head as if it needed demonstration.

"They have a license and everything," Qrow went on, stamping down on the need to cringe as Taiyang stared at him with folded arms. "They used a needle?"

Finally, Taiyang sighed and slumped. "Well," he said, eyeing them both, "I guess if it checked out..."

"Yay! Now let's go put away my- I mean our stuff!" Ruby chirped, grabbing ahold of Qrow's arm again and tugging. He let her pull him, whistling innocently as they passed Taiyang, and he caught the other man rolling his eyes as they went trotting up the stairs.

Instead of going to her room, she pulled him all the way to his- the guest- bedroom, then practically slammed the door shut behind them, giggling up a storm while she dumped the bags on the bed and started rooting through for something. Qrow folded his arms and cocked an eyebrow, leaning against the closet doors. "Looking for something in particular, pipsqueak?"

"Found it!" she yelled in response, jerking something out of a bag and whirling around. "Look here! It's just like the one Yang has, and she sent me one, so we can all match now!"

It was, initially, a little startling to see the short purple scarf in her hand. It felt a little like a conspiracy, since Qrow was half sure he was hallucinating when he looked in mirrors nowadays, and the thought that they somehow knew about it popped briefly into his head before he threw it out. That was nonsense. And he was just tired, he told himself. He pushed off the doors and cleared his mind of said nonsense, giving his head a little shake and putting on a smile. "Thanks, kiddo. Nice color."

"I know! It's just like her eyes. I like it," Ruby said, clapping her hands together with a smile as he took it and paused. Just like her eyes. He shook his head again and bent down to tie it around his knee like Yang usually did.

When he looked up, Ruby was still smiling, but it was a tad dimmer, and she was chewing on the corner of her lip. Her eyes drifted to the floor. "Sorry the cake was green, by the way," she said, sounding smaller, and Qrow hated himself a little more, because she should never sound like that, not for him. "I didn't realize..."

"Hey." He would deny his voice was a little strained as he set a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. What's done is done, pipsqueak. Let's just...move on."

"Yeah," she replied, with another dim smile. Somehow it felt like neither of them completely believed what he was saying (or rather, trying to say.) "Yeah..."

* * *

Qrow hung out in the woods most of the rest of the day, his excuse being that he needed fresh air, and he spent some time scouting around. There weren't any Grimm in the forests near the house, and he only found a few when he branched out. It made him feel a little shitty, but it was...still a little bit of a thrill, using Life and Death, being able to throw one with enough force to kill something and have it come back to him loyally. It certainly made attacking from the air more interesting.

When he got back to the house, there was a steaming mug of hot cocoa on the table waiting for him, despite how quiet he'd tried to be coming in. Ruby was perched in a chair, but she looked up and smiled when he ducked through the door and then stopped out of surprise.

She hopped up and trotted over to him, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. "Good night, Uncle Qrow!" she said, in that familiar, comforting cheery tone. Then, quieter. "It's going to be okay. I promise."

Qrow watched her leave, and even though the words- even though the _words_ were comforting, something deep down inside felt a little bit broken.

Ruby was halfway up the stairs when she noticed her father sitting on the top step. Surprised, she glanced up at him and then back at the doorway to the kitchen, where light was streaming through.

"Oh," Taiyang said, then his expression turned sheepish. "Sorry, I...didn't mean to eavesdrop."

He nodded his head gently at the space beside him. Expression falling- not because of her father, but because of what she was thinking about- Ruby settled in beside him, also whispering. "It's fine. He's just..."

"Ruby."

She looked up, and immediately felt guilty about the worried look on Taiyang's face. His expression was taut, eyes dimmer, and his concern was clear as day. For as long as she could remember, her father and uncle hadn't always seen eye-to-eye, but she knew they cared about each other, and it would be dumb to think Taiyang wouldn't _notice_ something was wrong.

"What...happened?" he asked, voice so quiet it was almost hard to hear him. "To him?"

Ruby let out her breath and looked down, telling herself to stop wringing her hands. It was what she did when she was anxious. She was told she got that from her mother. "Something bad," she whispered. Out of the corner of her eye, her father's hands tightened on his knees. "Really bad. I...don't think I should tell you... _what_ , but...he was doing so good. He was doing so good, Daddy," she said, tears starting to spill over in her eyes. "After he stopped drinking, and we got to Atlas, I thought...I thought he was really doing _good_. But then _he-_ "

She stopped herself before she said something that wasn't hers to tell, sniffling. Taiyang wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest, stroking her hair. "It's all right, shhh," he murmured. "You don't have to tell me, petal."

"I think his heart is broken," Ruby said, stifling a sob. "And I don't know what to do because that's never happened before."

The arms around her tightened. "You're doing perfect, sweetie. It's not your job to fix anything. The only thing we can do-" He paused to take what sounded like an uneven breath, and she could have sworn she felt a bit of moisture drip onto a strand of her hair. She'd been a crier when she was a kid. She got that from her father. "Is just support him. You...you worry about your life now. I'll talk to him, and if he needs help...I'll help. I promise. Okay?"

"All right," Ruby warbled, almost embarrassed by the crushing sense of relief that came over her. She wasn't relinquishing her efforts to help, or cheer her uncle up, but the mere presence of someone saying _I've got this- don't worry about it- I'll deal with this-_ came as such a relief. She didn't think she'd been ready to be a leader, but she had to; and then, they ended up winning, but she didn't want to keep doing it after. She didn't want to jump in to being a bounty hunter or a leader or a lone Huntress out in the wilds or whatever else felt too real. She just wanted home for a while.

 _Just let your dad deal with it, ok?_ Taiyang had always said, when she and Yang were kids, when there was something they couldn't deal with.

And god, it felt good to hear that again.


End file.
